A folding structure of a printing press is known, for example, from W. Walenski “Der Rollenoffsetdruck” [Rotary Offset Printing], 1996, pages 186 and 187, in which a web of material is cut into two partial webs. During a further course of production of the printed product, the partial webs are placed on top of each other and are cut, either in the center, or are again cut longitudinally. In such a case, as discussed in Walenski, at page 81, the width of the pages of four page wide webs, which pages are imprinted side-by-side, would each be a quarter of the width of the printing cylinder, or could be slightly less, if a web of lesser width than that of the printing cylinder is to be imprinted.
If the number of pages of a printed product to be produced is not sufficient to fill four pages side-by-side, the plate cylinder can also be equipped with a reduced number of printing plates. This will equip it for printing a web of three-quarter width or of half width or of one quarter width side-by-side with three, two or one rape. At least a quarter of the width of the plate cylinder, and therefore at least a quarter of the production capacity of the press remains unused in each such case.
If such a press is to be used for semi-commercial printing in particular, various printing jobs, with unfavorable page formats, may need to be printed, in which, in such unfavorable page formats, four pages side-by-side are wider than the plate cylinder, or in which unfavorable page formats, with four pages placed side-by-side, the entire width of the plate cylinder is insufficiently utilized, but in which unfavorable format twice the number of pages to be printed would exceed the width of the plate cylinder.
EP 0 814 044 A1 discloses a web guidance of several partial webs. The partial webs are cut by a longitudinal cutting device located in the direction of web travel to a former. The former is oriented in such a way that its entry direction extends transversely with respect to the web running direction in the area of the longitudinal cutting device.
DE 20 39 544 B shows a web guidance in a printing press and having a longitudinal web cutting device which is positioned in such a way that it cuts a web into a ⅓ and a ⅔ partial web. The two partial webs are conducted to a former which can be moved transversely with respect to the web running direction.